19th Century Medicine: Jenner and vaccination Flashcards
What were the symptoms of smallpox?
A red rash that became scabs, which would fall off leaving pock-marked skin
How deadly was smallpox?
It was fatal in 5-10% of cases, but this rose to 72% amongst children
Describe the ‘inoculation’ method of preventing smallpox
Pus from a smallpox rash would be spread into a cut in the skin of a healthy person
Why was the inoculation method of preventing smallpox dangerous?
If you were given too strong a dose, you could die
What did Edward Jenner notice about milkmaids in the countryside?
They caught cowpox but they never caught smallpox
When Edward Jenner realised that milkmaids didn’t catch smallpox, what did he do next?
He took pus from a cowpox mark from a milkmaid (Sarah Nelmes) and injected it into the arm of a young boy (James Phipps)
What did Edward Jenner do six weeks after he gave James Phipps cowpox?
He inoculated James Phipps with smallpox but the boy was immune
How many times did Edward Jenner repeat his smallpox experiment?
16 times
Why was Edward Jenner’s method of preventing smallpox called ‘vaccination’?
Vaccination comes from the Latin for cow (vacca)
What was the limitation of Edward Jenner’s discovery that cowpox could prevent smallpox?
He could not explain WHY it worked
In what year did the government make inoculation a crime?
1840
In what year did the government make smallpox vaccination compulsory?
1852
In what year did the government appoint Public Vaccinators, paid doctors to vaccinate people against smallpox?
1871
In what year did the British government enforce the smallpox vaccination?
1872
Why did the Royal Society reject Edward Jenner’s findings?
He did not have proof that his vaccine worked
Why did the Church oppose the smallpox vaccination?
Because it came from cowpox, they argued that it was an ‘animal infection’ that went against God’s will
Why did inoculators oppose the smallpox vaccination?
It put them out of business
How did inoculators oppose the smallpox vaccination?
They used their money and status to encourage newspapers to print negative things about vaccination
How many people around the world had been vaccinated against smallpox by 1800?
100,000
Which commander had his entire army vaccinated in 1805?
Napoleon
Why did some people still die even though they received a smallpox vaccination?
The doctors sometimes mixed up smallpox and cowpox samples or reused needles
What society was founded in 1803 to promote smallpox vaccination, backed by the government?
The Royal Jennerian Society
Who was inspired by Jenner’s work and searched for vaccinations for other diseases?
Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch
In what year was smallpox wiped out globally?
1979
